Colossal 100-inch 'Laser TV' coming to Australia this year

The appetite for a big screen cinema-like experience at home is growing, and Hisense is looking to capitalise with the announcement that it will bring its mammoth 100-inch 4K Dual Laser television to Australia in the first half of 2019.

The 100-inch Series L is a projection system that Hisense claims is as hassle-free as a traditional TV.

On display at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week the H100LDA, or Series L for short, is really an ultra short throw projector. But the Chinese company is cheekily calling it a television as it argues that it doesn't come with any of the installation hassle typically involved in a traditional projector setup.

The unit itself is about the size of a soundbar and is capable of projecting an 2.5-metre image from a distance of only 19 centimetres from the wall, enabling it to sit comfortably on an entertainment unit. Being an ultra short throw projection system means you can walk to and practically touch the screen and not cast a shadow.

The unit sits below and just in front of the screen, projecting upwards.

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Hisense claims that the projection unit is just one tenth of the weight of a comparably sized LCD TV, making it relatively easy to make adjustments or relocate to another room.

It comes with a pre-assembled ambient light rejection screen and Hisense will even come out to your home and set up everything so you won't have to get your hands dirty. You're covered as far as sound goes as well, with the projection unit doubling as a high end soundbar packing 14 speakers and a wireless subwoofer powered by JBL.

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The Series L uses a dual colour laser light source which offers a wider colour gamut over the single colour laser that Hisense's previous model laser television used. Being a laser-based projector means you'll never need to replace the bulb and it will turn on and off instantly.

The unit supports HDR however, as is the case with any projection based system, the limited brightness and contrast means HDR is more muted in comparison to what you get with a high end LCD or OLED television. Still, even in a fairly well lit conference room, the Hisense L Series looked impressive in person, with content on-screen exuding that natural filmic look that only a high-end projector can provide.

The lower light output also means it is more comfortable to watch in a darkened room in comparison to a conventional LCD television, with Hisense claiming an eye-friendly viewing distance of just four metres as opposed to nine.

The company has invested heavily in the research and development of its proprietary laser technology, with its first laser TV debuting in its home country — where it enjoys a market leader position in terms of television sales — all the way back in 2014 . It has since released its laser televisions to other markets including the United States and Europe.

There's no word yet on Australian pricing, but if the $US9999 ($14,000) American price tag is anything to go by, it won't come cheap.

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For those wanting to go big without breaking the bank, Hisense will be introducing 75-inch and 80-inch models to its 2019 budget range of Series 6 UHD LED televisions.

The company has chosen to sit out the 8K television race that other manufacturers are taking part in at CES, instead doubling down on its 4K offering with its flagship Series 9 sporting a 2500-nit peak brightness, making it one of the brightest televisions on the market.

Hisense's entire 2019 range of ULED televisions boasts its new AI-based VIDAA U 3.0 OS, complete with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control in addition to support for both Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

Hisense is also entering the crowded soundbar market, with an entry level 2.1 channel model and a more premium 5.1.2 channel Atmos-enabled model to arrive in Australia sometime later this year.